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Child Development and Education

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Educational difficulties & learning disabilities

Prof. Peter de Jong is professor of Educational Science. His areas of expertise are dyslexia, the development of basic skills such as reading, writing and arithmetic, as well as attendant educational problems.  

Teacher expectations and track recommendations

Dr Sara Geven is assistant professor of Sociology and Interdisciplinary Social Science. Her area of expertise is (in)equality and selection/differentiation in education, especially in the transition from primary to secondary school. She conducts research into inequality in school advice and teachers' expectations. She is also interested in how the social environment of students plays a role in educational outcomes and the inequalities therein.

Educational inequality and integration

Dr Bo Paulle conducts research on education, assimilation and disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

Educational inequality & labour market outcomes

Prof. Herman van de Werfhorst is professor of Sociology. His areas of expertise are inequality in education and job market outcomes.

Educational innovation

Prof. Monique Volman is professor of Education. Her areas of expertise are the use of innovative technologies in education (e.g. ICT), meaningful learning for diverse groups of pupils, and the creation of social engagement.

Upbringing, behaviour & social-emotional development

Prof. Geertjan Overbeek is professor of Pedagogy. He has been researching how parenting affects the behaviour and social-emotional development of children and adolescents for more than 15 years. In addition, his expertise concerns how relationships with peers shape the development of behaviour in young people.

Development of temperament & personality traits

Dr Alithe van den Akker is an assistant professor in the Preventive Youth Care research group. Her research focuses on the development of temperament and personality traits in childhood and adolescence. She investigates how these characteristics both shape and are shaped by parenting, and how child characteristics and parenting together contribute to the development of problems such as anxiety, depression, aggression and delinquency.

Development of juvenile delinquency

Dr Machteld Hoeve is an associate professor in the Forensic Orthopedagogics research group. Her research focuses on the development of juvenile delinquency, in particular on risk factors of juvenile delinquency such as family factors, and psychological problems in juvenile offenders.

Childcare

Prof. Ruben Fukkink is professor by special appointment of Childcare and Educational Facilities for the Young Child. His areas of expertise are childcare (nursery, daycare, out-of-school care), the pedagogical quality of childcare and the training of pedagogical staff.